Riding and walk-behind lawn mowers used to cut grass may sometimes contact rocks, hardscaping, or other hard objects which render the mower blade dull or otherwise less than effective at cutting grass. Additionally, extended general use of the mower blade(s) will also act to dull the blade(s). As a result, after-market replacement blades are typically sold in retail stores or through distributors or dealers for use by the consumer to replace the dull or otherwise ineffective mower blades instead of having the blade sharpened.
When the replacement mower blades are displayed in a store or dealership, the mower blades are typically packaged by placing the blade within a plastic sleeve wrap by an operator, and the sleeve wrap and mower blade are then placed onto a conveyor belt which transports them through a heater which causes the plastic to shrink around the blade. A hang tab is then adhesively attached to the outside of the shrunken plastic, which allows the replacement mower blade to be hung or otherwise displayed in the retail store or distributor. However, these adhesive hang tabs either do not readily stick to the plastic or they fall of due to the weight of the mower blade in which the adhesive has insufficient strength to remain attached to the plastic.
Another packaging process for replacement mower blades is encasing the replacement mower blade in a plastic clamshell package which has a hang hole formed therein. The clamshell package is typically a somewhat bendable plastic piece that is folded about the mower blade and then sealed to ensure the mower blade remains inside the packaging. This clamshell package is often difficult to open by a customer.
These packages for replacement mower blades are typically expensive and decrease the profit margin on the sale of the replacement blade. Additionally, the packaging also often does not maintain the mower blade in a displayed position, wherein the blades often separate from the packaging or the tab falls off which results in a pile of replacement blades at the bottom of the display.
Therefore, a need exists for a cheaper method of packaging replacement blades to be displayed in retail locations. A need also exists for a mower blade package that can withstand the weight of the mower blade in a displayed position.